Convex cylinder and piston head



Nov. 24, 1931. w. E. GOLDSBOROUGH CONVEX CYLINDER AND PISTON HEAD FiledJuly 30. 1929 vwamoz WINDER E. GOLDSBOROUGH 351;; 1113 @ff/tom PatentedNov. 24, 1931 UNITI-:D STATES PATENT OFFICE WINDER E. GOLDSBOBUUGH, FSOUTH NORWALK, CONNECTICUT, ASBIGNOR T0 DOHERTY RESEARCH COMPANY, 0F NEWYORK, N. Y., A CORQPOBATION OF DELA- I WARE CONVEX CYLINDER AN D PISTON'HEAD Application led July 30,

This invention relates to cylinder and piston construction suitable foruse in connection with internal combustion engines, compressors orsimilar mechanisms having a piston reciprocating in a cylinder.

It is the principal object of this invention to provide a constructionof the cylinder head together with ai complementary constructlon of thepiston which shall provide for a maxi'- mum strength of these parts fora given quantity of metal used in their construction.

It is a further object of this invention to provide a construction whichwhen used in connection with compressors and especially isothermalcompressors will give a large area of cylinder wall by which the heat ofthe gases. being compressed may be absorbed while at the same timeaifording such strength and rigidity of structure as to permit extremelyhigh compression pressures.

It is a further object of this invention to provide a construction whichwhen designed for use as an internal combustion engine affords a meanswhereby the fuel injected there into is completely diffused through thecombustion supporting medium in the engine cylinder.

To this end, it is a feature of the invention to provide a means wherebythe maximum of turbulence is obtained during the entrance into thesystem of the combustion supporting medium combined with the highpenetration and diffusion of the fuel supply injected therein.

It is a further object of this invention to provide a constructionwhich, when designed for use in internal combustion engines of the typein which the combustion supporting air charge is supplied to the workingcylinder when the piston of the same is at or near upper dead centerposition, affords a means whereby the incoming air is rapidly heated toa high temperature by radiant energy received from the surroundingsurfaces of the combustion chamber, and affords means whereby theexposure to such radiant surfaces is greater than is possible inconventional constructions.

To this end it is a feature of the invention to coat the inwardlyprojecting surfaces of 1929. Serial No. 382,140.

the cylinder head and the co-acting surfaces of the piston with arefractory material capable of withstanding high temperatures andadapted to heat the incoming air charge not only by contact between thegases and the highly heated surface, but also by means of radiationdirectly yinto the body of air itself.

These and other objects of the invention will further appear inconnection with the following detailed description.

The accompanying drawing re resents a longitudinal section taken througthe cylinder head and piston of an internal combustion engineconstructed in accordance with this invention.

Referring to the drawing, reference numeral indicates the cylinder of aninternal combustion engine having a head 12 of conical or concavoconvexconstruction. The head 12 projects downwardly into the cylinder andbears at or near its apex a fuel nozzle 14. A piston 16 is reciprocativein the cylinder 12. The piston 16 has a conical or concavoconvex head 18which head is of such construction as to closely correspond to theconical head 12 of the cylinder, the two being so arranged that theclearance space 20 formed therebetween when the piston 16 is in itsupper dead center position is a thin chamber of funnel shapedconstruction. A passage 22 is provided in the piston 16 and opens intothe space 20 at the apex of the conical portion 18 of the piston. Thepassage 22 is adapted to register with the passage 24 in the sidewall ofthe cylinder 10y when the piston 16 is in or 'near its upper dead centerposition. A second passage 26 is provided in the sidewall of the cvlinder 10 and is a'dapted to be uncovered by the piston 16 after thesame has moved downwardly upon its working stroke.

In operation, when the parts are in the position shown in Fig. 1, withthe piston moving upwardly, the passages 22 and 24 begin to register,and a charge of compressed air from a reservoir or compressor attachedto passage 24 passes upwardly through the piston passage 22. As the sameenters the clearance space of the engine, it is given a whirling motionby the deflectingvanes 28.

At this point fuel is supplied through the injection nozzle 14 andbecause it does not need to traverse a comparatively large space beforecontacting with the wall of the piston 16 which is immediately opposite,it may be so highly atomized by the usual mechanical means, that is tosay, atomized to such a degree of iineness, that the variousparticlescomposing the fog or spray of l1qu1d fuel in the space 20 possesses toolittle enetrative power to be projected very far t rough the air underhigh pressure in this space. AThe air of combustion, however, enteringthrough the passage 22carries the highly atomized fuel away from thefuel nozzle 14 and burns therewith while moving into the outer portionsof the clearance space20.

When the invention is aplied to an internal combustion engine as isillustrated in this figure, it is preferable to reduce the radiationlloss which would otherwise be greater than in conventionalconstruction, by the use of refractory material indicated at 29 upon allsurfaces which come in contact with the highly heated air or products ofcombustion.

The specific engine herein shown is of the type in which combustionsupporting air from an external source is supplied when the workingpiston is at or near its upper dead center position. The invention isparticularly useful in connection with such engines since any heatabsorbed by the incoming gases from thewalls of the cylinder increasestheir heat content at a point in the cycle at which such heat may beconverted into useful work. Only by providing refractory capable ofwithstanding these temperatures can the engine utilize this desirablefeature. The conical surface in conjunction with the refractory materialpermits of a large measure of such heating in the short time availableduring the upper portion of the working stroke. A

The described construction' provides an engine in Vwhich the distance atwhich the fuel is required to penetrate solely by the velocity given toit by its injection into the combustion spaces are greatly reduced. Atthe same time the concavoconvex form of the cylinder head and of thepiston head gives a more rigid construction to these parts, and they areable to withstand far higher pressures than were they of Hatconstruction.

Although there has been herein described but a single specificembodiment of the invention, it will be obvious to those skilled in theart that various modifications may be made in design and constructionwithout departing from the principles herein set forth.

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed as new is:

1. In an internal combustion engine having a cylinder and a piston`reciprocative therein, the head of said cylinder being of conicalconstruction and projecting into said cylinder, with a fuel nozzle atthe apex of said conical cylinder head, and means to supply combustionsupporting air through the plston at a point adjacent said nozzle.

2. In an internal combustion engine having a .cylinder and a iston recirocative therein, the head of said cylinder ing of conical constructionand projecting into said cylinder, with a fuel nozzle at the apex ofsaid conical cylinder head, means to supply combustion supporting airthrough the piston at a point adjacent said nozzle, and means to givesaid air a rotating motion.

3. In an internal combustion engine, a cylinder, a piston reciprocativetherein, the head of said cylinder being of conical construction anozzle at the apex of said conical head, and means to supply combustionsupporting air adjacent said nozzle at the time said plston is in aboutits upper dead center position. f

4. In an engine having a cylinder and a piston reciprocative therein,the head of said cylinder being of conical construction and projectinginto said piston, means to supply combustion supporting air through saidpiston, and means to give said air a rotating motion.

5'. In an engine having a cylinder and a piston reciprocative therein,the head of said piston being of conical construction and projectinginto said piston, a passage to supply combustion supporting air throughsaid piston, and a refractory coating on the surfaces of said pistonhead and said passage.

6. In an internal combustion engine having a cylinder and a pistonreciprocative therein, a head of conical construction for said cylinder,said head projecting in said cylinder, the internal surfaces of saidhead being lined with heat refractory material.

7. In an internal combustion engine having a cylinder and a pistonreciprocative therein, a head of conical construction for said cylinder,said head projectin in said cylinder, said piston having a hea ofconical construction adapted to co-act with the head of'said cylinder toform therewith a funnel shaped combustion space, the surfaces formingthe combustion space being covered with heat-refractory material, andmeans to supply air to said combustion space when the plston is in aboutits upper dead center posltion.

8. In an internal combustion engine having a cylinder and a pistonreciprocative therein a head of conical construction for said cylinder,said piston having a head adapted to coact with the said cylinder headto form therewith a funnel shaped combustion space, the said piston headbeing lined with heat-refractory material.

In testimonv whereof I affix my signature.

WINDER E. GOLDSBOROUGH.

